The War has Begun
by Rurouni Tyriel
Summary: (ONE-SHOT) A meeting of the Justice League after their conflict with Doomsday and Cadmus, discussing what possibilities they must consider for the future.


**Disclaimer:**

I don't own the Justice League Unlimited, though I wish I did. Or maybe just some hot kryptonian blondes. As it is, I barely own five piestas.

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**Summary:**

A meeting of the Justice League. Takes place just after the events of 'Doomsday Sanction.' Rated PG-13 just to be on the safe side.

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"You realize, of course, this is just the beginning."

In the very center of the Watchtower lay the meeting room, rarely used by the "new recruits" of the League, who tended to meet each other in the hallways or the active cafeteria to discuss business or missions. But here was the center of power for the Justice League. In the best traditions of Camelot (Shining Knight would've been proud) a single round table in the center of the room surrounded by seven simple chairs, each as simple as the last, no one more important than another. Just like their owners. Just like their opinions.

At first, when the new Watchtower had been built, some of the new superheroes had asked why seven chairs, instead of six. There were only six original members of the Justice League still active in the world. Six leaders among the gathering of superheroes. Role-models. But no seventh member, not with Hawkgirl having vanished into the unknown. When asked, Batman hadn't even given a response. Unless it was a silent glare. Superman and J'onn had been more forthcoming.

"Because it felt right."

And now it did, for that final chair was filled.

All of them were. Each chair at the table was filled by a superhero who had been part of the original Justice League, a fledgling organization that had none-the-less managed to do a great deal of good in the world. And beyond the confines of Earth. Oa, War World, New Genesis, Kalanor and countless other worlds owed those seven heroes and their League a debt that could never be repaid.

Superman. Batman. Wonder Woman. J'onn J'onez. Green Lantern. Flash. Hawkgirl.

They met infrequently, for rarely did a matter concern the entire League that its members had to meet. They were for the most part content to leave the daily expenses of the Watchtower to Batman and his endless supply of cash and the running of missions to the ever-vigilant J'onn.

But now they had a problem on their hands.

A big one.

As usual, the Flash managed to sum everything up into one sentence.

"So what do we do now?" he asked, somewhat morose. His joking had fled earlier in the week, after the attack of Doomsday and the shadowy conspiracy that had nearly left an island full of people dead. And among them himself (he was young yet, after all) and some of his best friends Superman and Wonder Woman. And nearly Batman too. And it showed. His arm was still in a sling, but he'd managed to crawl out of the infirmary and down the cowl and cape for this meeting.

Silence was the answer to the Flash's question, however. Indeed, what could they do? Against such a foe as this conspiracy there seemed to be no foolproof way to battle them. Give them a megalomaniac like Dark Seid or a psychopath like the Joker, or even a supervillain mastermind like Vandal Savage and the League could act. They could do something.

"We know Waller isn't the only one in on this conspiracy," replied Batman after a moment's thought. "She didn't know about the nuke about to obliterate the island."

"Well someone sure as heck did," interjected Superman, who was understandably still irritated about the threat to his life. "And if it wasn't Waller, that means someone else is part of this conspiracy. Another big fish we need to worry about."

"Luthor?" asked Green Lantern skeptically.

"Impossible," said Hawkgirl. Or rather, Shayera. She seemed to dislike her old name, it reminded her too much of how much she'd lied to them all. "I was monitoring the debate when J'onn saw the missile coming. He wasn't anywhere near a phone or anything."

"He's still part of it," Green Lantern started to say.

"… as far as we know," interrupted Batman. Reminding them all that pretty much everything they knew at this point was guesswork.

They may have been good at subterfuge themselves. Particularly Superman and Batman, who despite all their time working the League had managed to continue with both their public personas as Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne. But this conspiracy knew exactly who they were in and out of costume, and they had hidden themselves so deep in the world of shadowy governments and secretive societies that even the Question was having trouble finding out who they were.

"We need a way to find out who they are, what they're planning," said the Flash. "We can't win this if they know everything about us down to our favorite cereals."

"Sugarpuffs. Extra sugar."

Every eye turned to Batman.

"Why am I not surprised?" asked Flash, leaning back and shaking his head ruefully. "You go through my garbage too? Or is it just your buddy Question?"

"Stop that right now," interjected J'onn, before Batman could reply. "This is just the sort of mistrust that has lead these people to turn against the League in the first place. We are a team. We must not fight amongst ourselves."

Heavy silence weighed after that. They all remembered, and would not have been surprised in the least to find their thoughts traveling along similar paths. The League's break up. Back when Grodd had been messing with their minds. And they had just realized how deeply they resented, distrusted, dislike, and in some cases downright hated one another's guts. And without the League, the world would have become a very, very dark place indeed.

They needed one another. And Earth needed them.

And they would continue to fight. And win. No matter the cost to themselves.

"We need to take this on the offensive," said Wonder Woman.

"How? They know us, watch us constantly, and we know next to nothing about them," replied Superman.

"They can't be infallible," said Green Lantern. "They have to slip up sooner or later."

"They very nearly did, and it just about came close to obliterating Superman and that island," pointed out Batman.

"We know about Waller, at least. And what about Lords?" pressed Green Lantern, leaning forward onto the table. "Isn't he still connected to the group?"

Batman shook his cowled head. "Cut off. Waller gave him the boot and sent him packing. He refuses to say anything." Eyebrows quirked at this. Batman had never failed to get information from someone before. He scared the living daylights out of people just by being near them. "He doesn't want to end up like General Hardcastle," he elaborated.

"And what about Roulette?" asked Hawkgirl. "I read the report from Arrow and Canary about those Metabrawls. Sounds like an ideal training ground."

"Nothing so far on Roulette, but we're still looking into it," replied Batman. "Still, it's unlikely she's near the top anyway. All she cares about is money."

"We know who's at the top though," said Superman.

"Or we think we do."

"Doomsday came after me. Twice now," he added darkly. "Sounds like Project: Achilles that Question was talking about two meetings ago. Ways to take me out," he added bitterly.

"Luthor," spat out Wonder Woman. If ever there were men she hated, it was men like him.

"So why don't we try to find out more about them?" asked Flash. "C'mon there's gotta be something we can do." A thought occurred to him, and the Fastest Man Alive swiveled in his chair to face J'onn. "Hey what about Gypsy? Isn't she a spy?"

J'onn frowned. "She… she is a chameleon and something of an infiltrator," he replied reluctantly. "But she's not ready for something like this…"

"She'll have to be," interjected Batman. "It's a good idea. Pair her with Elongated Man. He's experienced and a detective. They could learn something. And as it stands now, we need every scrap of knowledge we can get."

"Very well."

"What about the rest of us?" asked Flash, eager to act as always.

A beep from a nearby board caught their attention, and the face of a League technician appear on-screen. The sheer amount of work the League was involved in these days, they'd been forced to hire on a number of non-hero technicians to assist them in a number of matters, including running and maintaining the Watchtower and monitoring communications and the like. They also worked as an excellent medical staff, since being a superhero tended to be a somewhat violent lifestyle, and injuries were unavoidable.

"Sorry to interrupt sirs," the young boy said. "There's a crisis report coming in from Central City."

"Flash…" Batman started to say.

"… I'm on it," replied the Flash, without a word zipping out of his chair and to the door, giving it half a tick to slide open before zooming down the corridor. It hissed shut behind him.

"Meeting adjourned," said Batman.

Three of the remaining six heroes immediately departed. Green Lantern returned to his duties, already involved in a deep-space case. Wonder Woman and Batman headed to her quarters, she no doubt giving him an earful still about his near-suicide attempt to save Superman's life. She was getting tired of all these close calls he was having in the past few months. If Batman wasn't carefully he'd get himself killed.

However, Superman and J'onn remained, and Superman signaled for Shayera to remain a moment, and she did so reluctantly, letting the doors slide shut with her on the other side of them as she glanced over at Superman uneasily.

She didn't know why he made her so uneasy. They are very alike in a lot of ways. Both the only ones of their kind on Earth. Both warriors. Both heroes. J'onn was similar in a lot of ways too, though both the Kryptonian and the Martian were far better off than the Thanagarian. Their homes were gone, but hers was still there… and far out of her reach.

They were even alike in that they'd all come dangerously close to destroying that which they loved. And had all needed forgiveness because of that betrayal. But perhaps that was why she felt uneasy around Superman. He hadn't done what he'd done willingly. He'd been brainwashed. She hadn't been.

"You know I normally wouldn't ask this if I saw another way," he began quietly.

"You want to know if I have any advice on this matter because I was a spy," she replied, guessing his intent immediately.

"Not… exactly…"

"Spare me. I hit it right between the eyes and I don't need an energy mace for that," she replied, upset. Anger flared inside of her. But not anger for Superman. Anger for herself. Would she never be allowed to forget?

"No," she reluctantly said after a moment's thoughts. "Spying isn't something often done on Thanagar. You know what my people are like. We're direct. We don't enjoy sneaking about and lying. And before you ask, yes we're capable of it. But generally not among our own people. I have no idea on how to fight this… these people. Give me an opponent I can see and feel and I can beat them," she added, smacking her fist into palm.

"Alright. I'm sorry Shayera."

"Don't be," she replied, turning to march out the door. "You were just doing your duty."

The doors hissed shut behind the departure of the winged woman, leaving a stunned Superman and J'onn in her wake.

"It's begun," said J'onn dramatically. "Let us pray this is not the end of our era."

"No way," replied Superman. "We won't let them win. They want a war? They got it. But we're going to win."

"At what cost?" asked J'onn rhetorically, expecting no real answer from the Last Son of Krypton.

For to a question like that, how could he possibly reply?


End file.
